who was in the company of Saul’s future successor, David. They hold that, following his ascension to the throne, David made Abiathar an associate high priest along with Zadok. Such view is evidently taken due to the fact that Zadok and Abiathar are regularly mentioned together as though sharing a high position in the priesthood. (2 Sam. 15:29, 35; 17:15; 19:11; 20:25; 1 Ki. 1:7, 8, 25, 26; 4:4; 1 Chron. 15:11) However, the inspired record nowhere mentions any appointment of Zadok as high priest under King Saul. It is possible that Zadok’s prominence is due to his being a seer or prophet, just as the priestly prophet Samuel received greater mention in the divine record than the high priest of his time. (2 Sam. 15:27) The evidence indicates that Abiathar was the sole high priest during David’s reign and that Zadok then occupied a position secondary to him.—1 Ki. 2:27, 35; Mark 2:26.

The text at 2 Samuel 8:17 has caused some question in this regard, since it says that “Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests” then, but does not mention Abiathar as high priest. Some suggest that the names of Ahimelech and Abiathar were transposed by a scribal error so that the text should read “Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech,” even as it does in the Syriac version. However, the record at 1 Chronicles (18:16; 24:3, 6, 31) confirms the order of the names in this verse as found in the Masoretic text. It therefore appears more likely that Zadok and Ahimelech are mentioned simply as secondary priests under High Priest Abiathar, and that Abiathar’s position was, in this instance, assumed to be understood.—1 Chron. 16:37-40; compare Numbers 3:32.

Abiathar shared in the privilege of bringing the ark of Jehovah up from Obed-edom’s home to Jerusalem along with others of the priests. (2 Sam. 6:12; 1 Chron. 15:11, 12) In addition to being high priest he was included in Davld’s official “cabinet.”—1 Chron. 27:33, 34.

Toward the latter part of David’s reign, David’s son Absalom formed a conspiracy against his father. Abiathar again stayed by David when circumstances forced the king to flee from Jerusalem. As part of a plan to thwart the counsel of traitorous Ahithophel, David’s previous counselor, Abiathar and Zadok as loyal priests were sent back to Jerusalem to serve as liaison officers to keep David advised of his rebellious son’s plans. (2 Sam. 15:24-36; 17:15) After Absalom’s death, Abiathar and Zadok served as intermediaries to arrange David’s return to the capital.—2 Sam. 19:11-14.

In view of his faithful record of enduring many hardships in David’s company during his time as a fugitive from Saul and again during Absalom’s rebellion, and considering his having enjoyed David’s confidence, friendship and favor during some four decades, it is surprising to find Abiathar [linking himself up with another son of David, Adonijah, in a later conspiracy for the throne. Though the plot also had the support of Joab as head of the army, it failed; and Solomon was appointed as king, with loyal priest Zadok doing the anointing at David’s instruction. (1 Ki. 1:7, 32-40) Abiathar’s son Jonathan, who had previously served as a runner to bear news to David during Absalom’s insurrection, now went to advise Adonijah of the plot’s miscarriage. King Solomon took no immediate action against Abiathar, but, when evidence showed that the plot was still smoldering, he ordered Adonijah’s and Joab’s death and banished priest Abiathar from Jerusalem, saying: “Go to Anathoth to your fields! For you are deserving of death; but on this day I shall not put you to death, because you carried the ark of the Lord Jehovah before David my father, and because you suffered affliction during all the time that my father suffered affliction.” (1 Ki. 2:26) Zadok was now assigned to replace Abiathar in his priestly position, and with this the office of high priest passed again to the line of Aaron’s son Eleazar; and the priestly line of the house of Eli came to a complete end, in fulfillment of the prophecy at 1 Samuel 2:31.—1 Ki. 2:27; 1 Sam. 3:12-14.

While the record later, at 1 Kings 4:4, again refers to “Zadok and Abiathar” as priests of Solomon’s reign, it is likely that Abiathar is listed only in an honorary capacity, or in a historical sense. Some authorities suggest that Solomon, after demoting Abiathar, then assigned him to serve as Zadok’s deputy, and that, while one officiated on Mount Zion, where the Ark was kept, the other served at the tabernacle, which continued in Gibeon prior to the building of the temple. (See 1 Chronicles 16:37-40.) However, 1 Kings 2:26 shows that Solomon sent Abiathar to his fields in Anathoth and, while Anathoth was not far from Gibeon, Solomon’s order indicates that Abiathar was being removed from any active participation in the priesthood.

At Mark 2:26 most versions have Jesus saying that David went into the house of God and ate the showbread “when Abiathar was high priest.” Since Abiathar’s father, Ahimelech, was the high priest when that event took place, such translation would result in a historical error. It is noteworthy that a number of early textual authorities omit the above phrase, and it is not found in the corresponding passages at Matthew 12:4 and Luke 6:4. However, a similar Greek structure occurs at Mark 12:26 and Luke 20:37, and here many translations use the phrase “in the passage about.” (RS; AT; JB) So, it appears that Mark 2:26 properly allows for the translation given in the New World Translation, which reads: “How he entered into the house of God, in the account about Abiathar the high priest.” Since the account of the first exploits of Abiathar begins immediately following the record of David’s entering the house of God to eat the showbread, and since Abiathar did later become Israel’s high priest in David’s reign, this translation maintains the historical accuracy of the record.

ABIB

(Aʹbib).

The original name of the first lunar month of the Jewish sacred calendar and of the seventh month of the secular calendar. (Ex. 13:4; 23:15; 34:18; Deut. 16:1) It corresponds, generally, with part of March and part of April. The name is understood to mean “ripening grain” or “green ears,” and it was during this month that the barley harvest took place, followed some weeks later by the wheat harvest. The latter or spring rains also began and these helped to bring the Jordan River to flood stage. (Josh. 3:15) It was designated by Jehovah as the initial month of the sacred year at the time of the exodus from Egypt. (Ex. 12:1, 2; 13:4) Following the Babylonian exile this name was replaced by the name “Nisan.”—See NISAN.

ABIDA

(A·biʹda) [father of knowledge].

Abida was a son of Midian, and a grandson of Abraham by his wife Keturah. He had four brothers, named Ephah, Epher, Hanoch and Eldaah.—Gen. 25:1, 2, 4; 1 Chron. 1:33.

ABIDAN

(Abʹi·dan) [father of judgment].

The chieftain of the tribe of Benjamin at the time of the census of Israel in the second year of the exodus from Egypt. He was the son of Gideoni. (Num. 1:11, 16) He was the head over the 35,400 men of Benjamin over twenty years of age who camped on the W side of the tabernacle.—Num. 2:18, 22, 23.

At the completion of the tabernacle and its inauguration (1512 B.C.E.), during twelve days each chieftain presented a noncompetitive offering of silver and gold dishware, worth about $224, in addition to offerings of grain, oil, incense and livestock, and it was on the ninth day that Abidan represented the tribe of Benjamin in this manner. (Num. 7:10, 60-65) He died during the forty-year journey in the wilderness.—Num. 14:29, 30.